1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to flushing-out holding tanks for recreational vehicles and traveling trailers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hose access port for easy access to bathroom facilities in a recreational trailer or traveling trailer to flush-out the holding tank therein.
2. State of the Art
Mobile units such as, recreational vehicles (xe2x80x9cRVsxe2x80x9d), motor homes, traveling trailers, campers and the like typically include bathroom facilities and are generally equipped with sewage holding tanks. Such holding tanks are cleaned-out and drained from time-to-time as convenient such as when parked at camping grounds or other facilities providing sewage disposal units and hook-ups. Generally, the mobile unit is equipped with a flexible sewage line for attaching to the holding tank outlet at one end and the other end attached to a septic tank or positioned where the sewage from the holding tank can be properly disposed as desired. A valve on the holding tank can then be opened to allow the sewage and the like to drain from the holding tank through the sewage line for proper disposal. Although the bulk of the sewage is drained from the holding tank during such removal, often residue and portions of the sewage will remain on the interior surface of the holding tank. Such residue and portions of sewage leave an offensive odor which often escapes the holding tank through the toilet and into the trailer.
One practice often conducted to better clean the holding tank and prevent the offensive odor from becoming unbearable is a flushing-out process. This practice is typically employed by manually pulling a garden-type hose through the door of the trailer or motor home to the bathroom and then using water supplied by the hose to fill and flush-out the holding tank. Such flushing-out process is often repeated until the offensive odor is removed. Although the offensive odor may be removed in this process, often the garden hose pulled through the mobile unit to the bathroom facility is dirty with mud and debris. As such, after completing the task of flushing-out the holding tank, another discouraging task is often necessary of cleaning out the trailer of the mud and/or debris brought in by the hose. This is often very undesirable as many mobile units have plush interiors with carpet which owners would rather not become soiled in the process of cleaning their sewage holding tanks.
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus providing a hose access port for a mobile unit configured to provide access for a hose through an exterior wall to extend to a toilet for flushing a holding tank. The hose access port includes a hose-holding duct portion, an outside-mountable flange and a sleeve member. The hose-holding duct portion includes a bore extending between opposite first and second end portions of the duct portion and operable to extend through a hole formed in the exterior wall between an outside surface and an inside surface of the exterior wall proximate the toilet in the mobile unit. The outside-mountable flange extends orthogonally from the first end portion of the duct portion and is operable to be secured against the outside surface of the exterior wall. The sleeve member includes securing structure and is coupled around the second end portion of the duct portion. The sleeve member includes an inside-mountable flange extending orthogonally from the duct portion and is operable to be secured against the inside surface of the exterior wall. With this arrangement, the duct portion is operable to receive the hose through the bore into the toilet to run water therethrough and flush the holding tank.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention.